Portable bedstead and sacking-bottom



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

SAML. WHITMARSH, OF NORTHAMPTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

PORTABLE BEDSTEAD AND SACKING-BOTTOM.

Specicaton of Letters Patent No. 7,712, dated October 8, 1850.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, SAuL. IVHITMARSH, of Northampton, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Beds and Bedsteads, and that the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the same and of the principle or character which distinguishes it from all other things before known and the method of making, constructing, and using the same reference being had to the accompanying drawings, making part'of this specification, in which- Figure l is a perspective view of the bed and bedstead stretched out ready for use, Fig. 2 an end elevation and Fig. 3 a side elevation thereof.

The same letters indicate like parts in all the figures.

The object of my invention is to make a bed and bedstead which can be folded up in a small compass, and, which, when stretched out, shall be of abundant capacity and strength, and upon which a person may lie with comfort.

The bed consists simply of a piece of canvas bound round the edges to give it the required strength and provided with hooks or loops at proper distances apart to hang it to the posts of a frame. And this the first part of my invention consists in inserting gores, for the swell of the body at the hips and shoulders, in a cloth to be stretched to form a bed, in whatever manner the same may be hung or stretched. In this way, a bed can be made of a piece of stretched canvas which will adapt itself to the form of the body, instead of having nearly the whole weight of the body resting on the hips and shoulders. And the second part of my invention which relates to the method of making portable bedsteads, consists of a series of short posts of wood or other stiff substance adapted withvertical grooves or fillets to receive sliding blocks, when these are combined by means of a series of connecting braces on the principle of the lazytongs, one set of these braces being arranged longitudinally at each side, and extending from post to post, the lower end of each brace being jointed to the lower end of the posts, and their upper ends to the sliding blocks so that by sliding down the blocks, the posts shall be separated and braced longitudinally, and, by sliding them up,

ldrawn together, and the posts of the two opposite sides are in turn and in like manner connected together by a series of such braces.

In the accompanying drawings (a) represents two series of vertical posts which I usually make of ash wood, but which may be made of any other stiff material whether wood or iron. These posts are formed with two grooves on each of two opposite sides to which are fitted metal slides (c, d,) two for each post. These I usually make of sheet metal with the ends turned in to fit the grooves, that they may slide therein freely. All the posts on each side are connected together by a series of braces (e, f,). The lower end of the first one (e) is jointed to the lower end of the first post by a metal pin (g,) riveted through with a block (la) interposed and its upper end is jointed by a rivet to the slide (o) on the outside of the second post. The upper end of the first brace is in like manner jointed to the slide (c) on thefirst post, and its lower end in like manner jointed to the lower end of the second post and then the two first braces (e) and (f), are jointed together at their middle by a rivet pin This completes the union of the first and second post. The second and third posts are united in the same manner, the lower end of the second brace (e) beingqjointed to thelower end of the second post by the piny which forms t-he joint of the lower end of the first brace (f), and the second brace (f) is jointed to the slide of the second post by the same pin as the upper end ofthe first brace (e). In this way all the posts`are connected together on both sides, so thatiwhen all the slides (o) on each side are forced down to the position represented in the drawings, the frame will be stretched and braced out to its full length, the lower end o-f each post, except the first and last, forming an abutment for two opposite braces, and t-he first and last forming abutments each for one brace, while the slides form the abutments for the counter braces. The two sides being thus formed, the corresponding posts of the two opposite sides are connected together and braced in the following manner, viz: A brace (lo) is jointed by its upper end to the upper end of one of the end posts of a side frame by a pin and metal cleat (l), and a similar brace (7c) is in like manner ointed to the corresponding post on the other side, and the inner ends of these two braces are in turn jointed together by a pin Two others (m, m), similar to, but in the reversed position, are jointed together at (0), and the outer ends of these are in turn jointed to slides (d, d) on the posts; and the braces (7c, m) and (76,71%) are jointed by pins (29, p) at the middle of their length. In thisthe end posts of the two side frames are connected together for the footand head of the bedstead. The intermediate posts are riveted in like manner but reversed; that is to say, the braces start from the lower ends of the posts instead of the upper ends.

This co-mpletes the union of the posts laterally, and when all the braces are drawn out the entire frame will be opened out as represented by the drawings; and when drawn in, the posts will be brought nearly into contact, making a small and compact bundle. All the posts at their upper ends and inside are provided with metal rings (g) to` receive hooks (r) which are attached at proper distances apart to the edge of a canvas or sacking (s), which is in this way suspended from, and stretched on all the posts. j

The canvas should be properly bound around the edges and the hooks properly secured and stayed. At the head end, a cord loop (t) is irmly secured to the canvas and provided with a ring (u) to hook onto a staple in a post (fw) to elevate the part of the canvas to which it is attached to form a pillow for the head.

There is a post (fw) at each end of the frame, and therefore the description of one will answer for both. The post (w) at its lower end is secured to the pin which joins together the two braces (le, la). It is grooved in the same manner as the posts (a) that it may be embraced by a slide attached to the braces (m). So that the post is connected at two points with two sets of braces which, in consequence of the slide, are permitted to approach and recede in opening and closing the frame. A rod (y) can be connected with the post (w) by means of slides (e, e) that one may slide on the other to elevate the rod (y) to the required height to make a support for a mosquito net. The canvas or sacking is made with two or more gores (a, a) to swell out the canvas to t the shoulders and hips of the person reclining on it.

I contemplate making the posts of wood and lining them with tin o-r thin sheet iron to render them more stiff, and at the same time to protect the grooves against the wear-- ing action of theI slides. Or instead of this the posts and the braces may be made entirely of iron or other metal.

What I claim as my invention and desire l to secure by Letters Patent, in the making of a sacking bed of canvas or other cloth to be suspended from the edges, is-

l. The insertion of gores to fit the same to the swell of the body at the shoulders and hips, substantially as described.

2. And I also claim making t-he frame of a portable bedstead, substantially as herein described, of a series of posts connected and combined together longitudinally and laterally by braces on the principle of the lazytongs, the said braces being connected with the posts kby means of joints and slides, substantially as herein described.

SAMUEL WHITMARSH.

Witneses:

ROBERT W. SNoBIN, C. A. WVM. BROWNE. 

